Planning a vegan wedding

Photo credit: http://www.hollyireland.com/

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

Planning a vegan wedding is so exciting! There are so many options nowadays to ensure guests (vegan and non-vegan alike) feel welcomed and are familiar with the food choices all around them. If a couple feels limited, we have created a list in order to keep the elements of the wedding planning fun and stress-free.

Considerations For Vegan Weddings

Food and Location

Buffet for vegan wedding

The first planning item that comes to mind would naturally be, What are we going to eat? It is important to let venues know ahead of time that a specialized menu is needed. Couples getting married who are looking to incorporate vegan alternatives should keep this in mind when seeking out their location. Some locations may require the use of their own catering services or allow you to use an outside catering company. This will work fine as long as you work with your venue to perfect the specialized vegan options. Providing ideas and recipes are a way to get the creative juices flowing!

 Catering

There are many caterers that offer vegan options and have the experience to handle specialized weddings. We love working with Eco Caters in Southern California! Nick Brune, Executive Chef at Eco Caters, says, I love the chance to let vegetables shine, we’re lucky to live in an area where our farmers grow incredible produce. The trick to creating a delicious vegetarian or vegan wedding feast is to start with the freshest organic ingredients from the best local suppliers. This way we avoid taste-sapping airfreight and retain big, bright flavors that pack a punch. All our ingredients need next is a little Southern soul and you’ve got dishes that are extremely flavorful and hearty.

Cakes + Desserts

Vegan cake

Photo credit: http://www.hollyireland.com/

More and more bakeries are able to cater to vegan couples with the understanding that it is simply a matter of egg replacement and non-dairy milk for most recipes. Couples should seek out a bakery that can create vegan cupcakes, cake, or various desserts! Sweet Cheeks Bakery in Southern California has designed some beautiful vegan wedding cakes in the past. Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. offers quite a fun range of both Vegan cakes and Vegan fillings & frostings for cupcakes, desserts, and even cakes! We have supplied fully tiered Vegan Wedding Cakes for a number of weddings to great satisfaction by the happy couple. Yay! Decoration on this type of frosting is limited to a beautifully textured style, chimes in owner Elaine Ardizzone.

Hair and Makeup

Hair & makeup using cruelty-free products

Photo credit: http://www.hollyireland.com/

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Makeup artists are becoming a popular trend. When seeking out makeup artists and hair stylists, it is important to communicate your expectations for the products and their manufacturers. Another item to consider are eyelash extensions to ensure that they are animal and cruelty-free products. Makeup by Arbonne and Kat Von D Beauty are both great lines which uphold the reputation of being vegan-friendly and against animal testing.

Favors

There are so many favor ideas that would be great for a vegan wedding! Practical gifts such as wine stoppers, personalized frames, or glasses are always fun to include. A trending favor idea for vegan weddings is for guests to receive a thank you card at their setting with a note that a donation was made to an animal organization such as the Humane Society, PETA or SPCA. This is something that is thoughtful, practical, and provides a donation that will go a long way!

Use real flowers

Photo credit: http://www.hollyireland.com/

Decor & Details

Most decorations and rentals will fall in line with vegan standards. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when making choices on those final details. Candles should be animal-product free and any lounge furniture being brought in needs to be checked to ensure leather material is not being used. The use of real flowers is advised to avoid the possibilities of silk; which you should also look out for when selecting your tablecloths.

 Planning

An important aspect of the wedding planning is hiring a coordinator! Planning a vegan wedding is very possible and pretty simple with the right resources. When hiring a coordinator look for one who has experience with meeting the needs of vegan weddings. You will save so much time! If you are in the San Diego area we would love to help you out. An experienced coordinator, like At Your Side Planning, can help you streamline the process and make the planning fun. We wish you the best in your (vegan) wedding planning!

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Bio: Diana Romero is the owner of At Your Side Planning, a full-service wedding planning company in San Diego, California. At Your Side Planning has been coordinating weddings and events since 2004 and providing impeccable service to all their clients. Diana herself is plant-based and very familiar with vegan standards. She is always ecstatic to plan these weddings. Thank you for reading this blog and congratulations!

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